With this, the security forces have eliminated nine Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists in Shopian district of Jammu & Kashmir during the past 24 hours. Five Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists were killed on Sunday morning.
Public Relations Officer Defence Col. Rajesh Kalia said that four dead bodies of terrorists were recovered along with arms & ammunition from the encounter site. The identification of the slain terrorists is being ascertained.
He said that a joint team of Shopian Police, Army’s 44 RR and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Ponjora village in the wee hours today. As the joint team encircled the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired upon them. The fire was retaliated by the team, triggering off an encounter resulting in the elimination of Four Terrorists.
Lt Gen B S Raju, heading the Kashmir-based fifteen Corps in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has said that the recent “uncoordinated” acts of violence in North Kashmir are “signs of desperation” by terrorists who are not finding resonance among people who want to get-out of the cycle of violence. He said it is a fact which is visible in the sharp decrease in the recruitment of local youths in terror groups this year. He said that the basic premise of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is to create sensationalism that is backed by false separatist narratives and propaganda sponsored from Pakistan.
He said that the people want a solution, and want to get out of this cycle of violence and that is the reason that the support for terrorism has been wiped out. Raju said that the recruitment of local youth in the terrorist outfits has also reduced by nearly half from 2018 to 2019 and is even lesser in 2020 adding that the terrorist cadres “are in a self-preservation mode.”
Lt Gen Raju said that more and more young men are participating in sports, skill development initiatives, job opportunities and education. He said that the online registration for the upcoming recruitment rally has seen close to 10,000 youth registering which is nearly double the numbers last year. Government has helped them build a better future for themselves and support their families and this fact is a testament to the change being ushered in Kashmir.